Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability Announced

Media Release

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, BC — “Making Victoria More Affordable” is a key objective in the City’s new strategic plan for focus and investment over the next four years. City Council has created the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability, comprised of citizens and community leaders with experience in planning, architecture, real estate development, anti-poverty and non-profit housing.

“I’m excited to announce the Housing Affordability Task Force, a diverse group of community-minded individuals, who will make concrete recommendations to Council on how to create more affordable rental housing in Victoria,” said Mayor Lisa Helps. “Our goal is to take action in 2015 to work with private sector developers and non-profit housing providers to substantially increase the construction of new housing units for low-income and working people.”

The role of the task force is to consult with community stakeholders to develop recommendations to City Council on innovative housing policy solutions, including measures within municipal jurisdiction that will increase the supply of new units of low-cost housing, which is defined as a unit that a person earning minimum wage or receiving a pension can afford to live in.

“As well as creative ideas to increase the numbers of affordable housing units available in Victoria, Together Against Poverty Society would like the Task Force to tackle the issue of security of tenancy,” said task force member Brenda McBain. “Many of our clients, who all face grinding poverty, also have to bear the financial and emotional cost of repeated moves from one inadequate housing situation to another.” 

The City recently increased its funding contribution from $250,000 to $1 million this year towards its Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

The task force is chaired by Mayor Lisa Helps, and includes Councillor Ben Isitt and Councillor Jeremy Loveday, and the following community members:

  • Kathy Hogan, Urban Development Institute
  • Todd Litman, Urban Development Institute
  • Brenda McBain, Together Against Poverty Society
  • Yuka Kurakawa, Together Against Poverty Society
  • Marika Albert, Community Social Planning Council
  • Dylan Sherlock, Community Social Planning Council
  • Rob Bernhardt, Bernhardt Contracting (member at-large)
  • Leonard Cole, Urban Core Ventures (member at-large)
  • Franc D’Ambrosio, D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism (member at-large)
  • Don Elliott, Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness (member at-large)
  • Peter de Hoog, de Hoog & Kierulf Architects (member at-large)
  • Dave Hutniak, LandlordBC (member at-large)
  • Gene Miller, New Landmarks (member at-large)
  • Kaye Melliship, Greater Victoria Housing Society (member at-large)
  • Jeff Dean, Victoria citizen (member at-large)
  • Bernice Kamano, Victoria citizen (member at-large)

“Accessibility to housing at a reasonable cost is a fundamental right of every person and the foundation of both social and economic stability in the city,” said task force member Franc D’Ambrosio.

Members of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability were appointed by City Council and will deliver recommendations to City Council on July 16, 2015.

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For More Information:
Katie Hamilton
Director of Citizen Engagement and Strategic Planning
Office: 250.361.0210 Cellular: 250.217.8343